Lone Wolf
by alcimines
Summary: Logan, alone in a bar on Christmas Eve, shooting pool as he considers the social dynamics of wolf packs.


_Author's Notes: The 'X-Men: Evolution' episode 'On Angel's Wings' is a favorite of mine. Most of the episode dealt with Scott and Rogue in New York City during the Christmas season. They were the only students left at Xavier's (everyone else was home with their respective families) - when reports of 'angel' sightings start coming in from the Big Apple. More to avoid boredom than anything else, they went to NYC and tried to determine if the 'Angel' that people were seeing was actually a mutant. Unfortunately, Magneto was also in town, doing the same thing._

_Just before the episode ends, there's a series of short scenes that show what the other X-Men are doing. It's mostly a montage of happy family scenes: Jean and her family picking out a Christmas tree, Kurt being met by his adoptive parents in a German airport, Kitty lighting a Menorah, Ororo overwhelmingly winning a snowball fight with Evan and Evan's father, etc._

_That segment also showed Logan alone in a bar, quietly shooting a one-man game of pool. With no words being spoken, it was one of the most effective bits of characterization in the entire series._

_Here's how I always hoped that scene ended._

_P.S - thanks to everyone who noticed I loaded the wrong link and dropped me a line to let me know._

* * *

LONE WOLF

Rack 'em up, good and tight.

Some chalk for the cue.

Break.

I eyed the pattern of balls on the pool table. A decent spread, but nothing has dropped. And the cue ball is up against a cluster of three other balls and doesn't have a clear shot. Overall, it wasn't a good break.

Oh, well.

The bar was just south of the Canadian border, near Buffalo. The bartender was an older guy. He was sitting behind the bar and quietly paging through a copy of 'Readers Digest'. I knew the type. It was Christmas Eve, and he didn't have anywhere to go. So he kept his bar open and silently served beer to whoever walked through the door - trying to pick up a few extra bucks by being open on a night when almost everyone else was closed.

Aside from the bartender, I was the only person in the bar.

After taking a drink from my beer, I go to work.

A tricky, heavily cut shot at the ten ball. It falls into the hole.

A straight shot at the three ball. It drops, but the cue ball ends up out of position. It rolled further than I had planned.

I frown and line up a bank shot on the twelve ball. Miss.

Another meditative sip of beer. I really wasn't shooting very well.

You know, humans are pack animals. Like wolves.

Setting up a long shot on the thirteen ball, I take a slow, smooth stroke at the cue ball. It's perfect. The thirteen runs most of the table and drops into a corner pocket, and I have good position on the one ball.

I drop the one ball, but the end position of my cue ball is slightly off again.

Needing some time to think over what I was going to do next, I took another sip of beer and put some more chalk on my cue.

Pack animals aren't comfortable unless they're with others of their kind. It just works that way. It's part of them - in their blood and bones. Instinctual. Genetic.

Bank shot at the fourteen ball. It goes into the hole. I nod to myself, pleased with the results. Bank shots are tough.

People talk about a 'lone wolf' like it's some kind of good thing. They really don't understand. A lone wolf isn't a noble individual who's bravely bucking the status quo - that's a human concept. Actually, a lone wolf is just a pack animal who doesn't have a pack.

The seven ball is a short, clean shot. No problem.

So a lone wolf isn't really doing anything right. Instead, he's a loser who can't contribute to the pack, or a bad guy who's been thrown out.

Or maybe he's just lost.

The twelve ball again - the one I missed earlier. This time, it isn't so lucky.

I have to do another really long shot to get the six ball. But it dives into the pocket as smooth as silk.

As pack animals, human beings understand loneliness - and we hate and fear it. Think of the worst times of your life. Odds are, you were alone during most of those times. Being lonely makes the bad things worse and the good things not so good.

The eleven ball goes down. Followed by the four ball.

The school gives the kids a pack - someplace and somebody to be with. Someone like them. Charles, Ororo, Hank, and me are there to make sure the pack doesn't go wrong. We don't let rage and fear take control of the pack. All in all, it's a good thing. Maybe the best thing I've ever done. And probably the only thing I've ever done that really matters in the long run.

The two ball is a clean, simple shot.

So how did I pull off the trick of being part of a pack - and being a lone wolf at the same time?

The nine ball hangs for just a second on the edge of the pocket, but it eventually falls.

Damned if I know. I... Maybe I just don't know any other way.

The eight ball is all that's left. I'm lining up the shot when I catch her scent. She's just walked in the door.

All of a sudden, concentrating is hard. She does that to me. Always has.

I can hear her heels clicking on the wooden floor as she walks towards me. I try to line up the shot on the eight ball and finish the game, but I can't manage it in time.

She's behind me now.

"What're you doing here?" I ask - trying not to growl out the words as I keep trying to concentrate on my shot.

"Hello to you, too," she says with an amused chuckle as she walks around the pool table and comes into view.

Ororo perches herself on the edge of a nearby chair. She's wearing boots, a pair of blue jeans, and a sweater. It's not as elegant as the way she normally dresses. Still, she effortlessly makes it look damn good.

Hell, she always makes everything look good.

I finally sink the eight ball and throw the cue onto the table. The game's over.

"Sorry," I say to Ororo - and I mean it. I don't have a good reason to act like that with her.

"How'd you find me?" I continue, even though I've got a strong suspicion.

"I asked the Professor to use Cerebro. It took some convincing, but he eventually did it."

I shake my head in mock anger, "There's just no getting away from you guys."

She ignores that, "I was wondering what you are planning on doing tonight."

Cocking my head slightly, I ask her, "Aren't you with your family?"

She smiles again, "Yes. In fact, I thought we might pay them a visit tomorrow."

I tried to imagine me with Evan, Ororo's sister, and whatsisname - her sister's husband. The picture doesn't really work for me. But, hey, it was Ororo that was doing the asking.

"Tomorrow," I say thoughtfully.

She doesn't say anything. Instead she just does that eyebrow-raise thing of hers.

"So what did you have in mind for tonight?" I continue.

She shrugs and gets to her feet. Then she's standing next to me. Leaning against me, Ororo's arms curl around my body and I can feel her warm breath against the side of my face.

"I am sure we will think of something," Ororo whispers in my ear. "Do you have anything in mind?"

Off in the distance, I can hear the howled call of my pack. I'm not alone.

For a change, I'm not alone.

I put my arms around Ororo.


End file.
